Formerly - Divineknits with Infiknit -
still the same comments on the ironies of life

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

I think that I shall never see.....

Streaming Leaf Scarf from Fiber Trends

....an app as lovely as a tree. I was just reading about a fellow in NYC who used a database of city info to develop an app that gives you information about any tree in NYC. Well, at least the trees from the city's database. So you could be at Broadway and 42nd St. and look up on your IPhone with this app and it would give you all the specs about the tree under which you are standing - I know I could have said "the tree you are standing under" - but I didn't!

Leaf Lace Throw from Fiber Trends

I thought, How Cool! Brett Camper (apt name), the developer said that he created the app as part of a competition sponsored by the city. He chose the city street database and trees especially, because, as he said, it enriches your life to know more about your surroundings. The article went on to discuss how city trees are inventoried, especially in Toronto, and why trees are so important in urban development. (I'm so glad my daughter is studying Urban Planning.)

Well, I thought wouldn't it be great to have an app that would allow you to inventory the trees in your immediate area and then be able to transmit this data to city hall. Then you could create another app to show all the trees on various streets, so when you went for a walk you could comment on each one - maybe even give then names - Charley the Chestnut....or something. Or record minute data, such as, trunk size and number of leaves, age, height etc. You can see why I knit. I love the microcosm.

You could even have competitions between neighbourhoods or towns and cities for tree diversity and coverage. I can see private funders opening up their wallets to add to their tree base and the city would reap the benefits by not having to shell out as much money to plant new trees each year.

Now, maybe we could combine trees with knitting sculptures - a little like yarn bombing only with taste. The problem with knitted "things" outdoors is they get worn and look very sad after a while. Somehow we have to inventory knitting and yarn available for viewing that maybe begins with yarn shops but extends to the local community.

Autumn Leaves from Cabin Fever.

I say this because knitting to me is like a tree - it grows; it enriches our lives; it is healthy (mentally anyway); it's a curiosity....so let's harness the power of those stitches!!

Dinner? Something green and leafy - a salad. Here's a great link to a site that has lots of EASY recipes for salads. The pictures are of knitting patterns with either tree or leaf in the title - inspired by nature.